NORMAN – Oklahoma had fought its way back from 16 points down when it found another way to lose control. With the score tied late against East Texas A&M, the Sooners missed two free throws. The visitors answered with a six-point run, and a season opener meant to launch Oklahoma’s campaign became a celebration for the other bench.
East Texas A&M won 68-64 at Lloyd Noble Center on Monday night, ending Oklahoma’s 30-game nonconference home winning streak. Bo Aldridge scored 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Alonzo Dodd and Mohamed Diakite added 15 apiece.
The decisive numbers were not the betting line or the size of the schools. Oklahoma missed 15 free throws and surrendered an 18-point scoring advantage from beyond the 3-point line. Those two failures left the Sooners needing a late escape even after they had erased most of the damage from a poor first half.
Oklahoma’s official game report said the defeat was just its second season-opening loss in 24 seasons. Yahoo Sports reported that it was East Texas A&M’s first victory over a power-conference opponent.
For coach Porter Moser, the immediate consequence was an apology rather than a discussion of how his team had started the season. Yahoo Sports quoted his remarks, attributed to The Oklahoman’s Colton Sulley: “I apologize to every single person that came in.” Moser took responsibility for a performance he described as not good enough.
The Lions did not need a single frantic burst at the finish to steal the result. They led 34-25 at halftime, then opened the second half with three 3-pointers in the first 2:37 to stretch the margin to 16, according to Oklahoma’s account. The home team spent much of the night trying to repair a deficit it had allowed to grow.
Dodd made five 3-pointers for his 15 points. Aldridge added three and supplied five assists, while Diakite finished with seven rebounds and three steals. Aldridge scored 15 of his 22 points after halftime, helping the Lions keep producing offense while Oklahoma mounted its comeback.
The Sooners’ first-half shooting gave them little protection. They made eight of 27 shots, including two of 11 from long range, and went one of 12 from the field over the final 6:53 before the break. That drought let the Lions turn a competitive opening into a nine-point halftime advantage.
Pop Isaacs helped change the pace after halftime. His 3-pointer capped an 8-0 Oklahoma run, and a Derrion Reid 3-pointer followed by a Tyler Hendricks steal and dunk brought the Sooners within 43-40. East Texas A&M responded with another 3-pointer and a seven-point run of its own.
Oklahoma kept coming. Isaacs hit another 3 with 8:48 left, and Reid’s fast-break layup later tied the game at 58. The Sooners had a chance to move ahead after the ensuing media timeout, but the missed free throws and the Lions’ 6-0 response shifted control back to the visitors.
Isaacs completed a three-point play with 25 seconds remaining to cut the margin to 66-64. East Texas A&M then missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving Oklahoma another opening. The Sooners could not convert their closing chances, and Aldridge’s late free throws secured the result, Yahoo Sports reported.
Isaacs finished with 15 points, 14 of them in the second half. Reid had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Oklahoma shot 40.4% from the field, 25% from 3-point range and 53.1% at the free-throw line. Its five made 3-pointers produced 15 points; the Lions’ 11 produced 33.
That contrast gives the upset a clearer explanation than a favorite simply failing to meet expectations. East Texas A&M built an advantage with perimeter shooting and repeatedly restored it when threatened. Oklahoma recovered enough ground to have chances but could not turn those chances into the lead.
Moser entered his sixth season at Oklahoma with a 95-75 record, according to Yahoo Sports, which also reported that the Sooners had reached only one NCAA tournament under him and had not won a tournament game during his tenure. The opening defeat adds pressure, but neither source reports a decision on his job.
Oklahoma was also without leading returning scorer Xzayvier Brown and Finley Keeffe because of lower-body injuries. The university’s report gave no return date for either player. The Sooners next host Mississippi Valley State on Friday at McCasland Field House, with their first attempt to put this opener behind them still short of an answer about who will be available.
